Latest research from Roy Morgan shows industry super funds have increased their lead over retail funds during the past year. In July 2019, 62.8% of Australian workers with superannuation in an industry fund reported being satisfied with their fund’s financial performance. This is up 1.1% on last year and is well above ... Read more
Comparing super funds
If there was a silver lining to the recent Financial Services Royal Commission’s, it’s that it made Australians more aware that some super funds have not been serving their members well.
If you would like to know more about your super fund and how it rates but don’t know where to start, we have put together a series of articles to help you do just that.
Follow the links below to find out how to compare funds and how to rate your fund against the best on offer. We also have a guide to the types of super fund on offer, their strengths and limitations.
Click on the links below for more information on comparing super funds:
- Types of super funds
- MySuper and your super
- How to compare super funds in 7 easy steps
- Choosing a super fund (fund choice)
- Guide to the Superannuation Standard Choice Form
- Investment performance
- Super fees and charges
- Insurance and super
- Considering an SMSF
Below are some of our key Comparing super funds articles:
Set out below are all SuperGuide articles that relate to Comparing super funds.
How to teach your kids about super
It’s safe to say that young adults in Australia today are unlikely to have a burning interest in super and who could blame them. Travel, study, first love, first job, first home are way more pressing issues. But if you are a parent of one of these young adults – or a grandparent, aunt or uncle – you probably wish you ... Read more
Super fees and returns calculator
Hands up if you know what fees your super fund charges? No idea? You’re not alone. Most super fund members are aware that being in a fund with superior investment performance will mean a bigger retirement balance. One of the key findings of the Productivity Commission report on super was the negative effect being in a ... Read more
7 ways your super fund manages investment risks
Like it or not, investing to grow a retirement nest egg involves taking some risks. Super funds use a variety of strategies to help reduce the inevitable investment risks they face as they work to deliver good investment returns to their members. To help you understand how your fund is investing your super savings, ... Read more
Investment indexes: 5 reasons they matter for your super
When it comes to the investment performance of your super account, funds love to talk about how much they have outperformed the index or benchmark. But what does that really mean? And what the heck is an investment index anyhow? To help you cut through the jargon, here’s an uncomplicated explanation of investment ... Read more
What are lifecycle super funds, and how do they perform?
Click here to jump to the latest returns for lifecycle super funds. Close to 70% of Australians with super in one of the major funds are invested in their fund’s MySuper option, the default option for employees who don’t choose a super fund. If you are a member of a retail fund, this is most likely a lifecycle product ... Read more
Monthly super fund performance Reckoner: Monthly returns for 5 investment categories
In the reckoner below you can view the median monthly investment returns for 5 superannuation investment options. We’re grateful to Chant West for providing the statistics that power the reckoner. See also: Super fund performance: Monthly returns to August 2019ImportantSuperannuation is primarily a long-term ... Read more
Super fund performance: Monthly returns to August 2019
In this article you can discover the latest monthly performance for super funds over 5 investment options. We’re grateful to Chant West for providing the statistics in this article. For annual and long-term super fund performance see the following SuperGuide articles:Super fund performance over 27 financial years (to ... Read more
10 points to check on your annual super fund statement
When the statement for your super account appears in the mail or your inbox, it can be hard to know what to make of it. Member statements are often full of figures and terms you don’t quite understand, making them a daunting read. But it’s important to check at least a few key points to ensure your retirement savings ... Read more
Which Australian super funds accept transfers from Kiwisaver accounts?
If you have KiwiSaver savings, you can voluntarily transfer them to an Australian super fund under the provisions of a Trans-Tasman Retirement Savings Portability scheme that was introduced on July 1, 2013.Consolidating your funds in this way can help you to avoid paying multiple fees on your retirement savings. ... Read more
Getting to know your super fund and what it can do for you
Superannuation is a home for your retirement savings, but it can do much more for you than that.How much more depends on your super fund because some funds are doing a better job of engaging and supporting members than others.Like Oliver Twist, many super fund members are lining up for more.That much was evident ... Read more
APRA warn on climate change: What does it mean for your super?
Insurers are known for their hard heads, not soft hearts. So, when an insurance expert urges business and consumers to take climate change seriously, it pays to listen.Geoff Summerhayes is executive board member of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), chair of the UN Sustainable Insurance Forum and ... Read more
Risk and returns: Getting the balance right
Risk is a difficult thing to pin down. Where superannuation is concerned, it can mean different things to different people. The risk of running out of money in retirement often comes into sharp focus once you hit your 50s. A market fall now could put a big dent in your super balance and mean less income in retirement ... Read more
What is the Sharpe ratio and why is it important for your super?
The Sharpe ratio is used to help investors understand the return of an investment relative to its risk. This is often referred to as the risk-adjusted return.It was developed by Nobel laureate William F. Sharpe and has been widely used at the pointy end of the funds management industry ever since. So why do you need ... Read more
Member direct vs SMSFs
The self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF) sector has been one of the fastest growing sectors of the superannuation industry over recent decades. So much so that some parts of the industry and retail superannuation fund segments have looked to it for ideas and have been offering members a growing capacity to choose ... Read more